In No Particular Order

Are we so desperate?

Are we so desperate we don’t even question?
Do we desire so much that we do not enquire?
Need we crave so long we fail to see?
Are we so needy we fail to ask?

Have we wanted so long we know not what to critique?
Did we yearn so hard we accept without reason?
Might we want to climb so high we covet only crumbs from the table?
Are the lights so bright we care not for their source?

Is there so little we’ve known that answers merely placate us?
Can we tolerate ambivalence because we fear the consequence?
Are we so crazy for success that we blind ourselves to reality?
Do we concern ourselves so much with kind words we fear language itself?

Have we accepted spin as the new discourse because we are deaf to the truth?
Should no bad word be uttered as it may deflect smiles of the many?
Do we just go on our way because to think might make us unwanted?
Dare we stand up and be counted or seek sanctuary in the disease of anonymity?

Do we seek only glory because our achievements have been so low?
Will we lessen our resolve because we fear being props in a ganda battle?
Shall our approach be one of three evils because we just might have to choose one otherwise?
Are we to be a pale shadow of ourselves just so as to guarantee sunlight?

Do we accept the written words of others because it is there in black and white?
Are we so minded to will victory that we lose our will to think?
Can we be so aloof to our conscience that our struggles no longer define us?
Must we sit on the fence because it is more comfortable than sitting on our laurels?

Will we demand no less than our fair share or merely huddle around our gracious prize?
Are we happy to remove the voices in our head in return for peace of mind?
Must we defend the indefensible so that we do not have to bear witness?
And do we just bob along because it’s easier than treading water?

Are we really so desperate?




The Starbucks User

From all the Starbucks users in their various guises
To the one-drink wifi scrounger and the exhausted mother with her little surprises

From the happy couple who declare their love
To the lycra-loving gym user & her tight-fitting stuff

From the builders who skipped Mc Donalds cause they just got paid
To the balding silver-haired academic on a verbal tirade

From the starbucks fan who just likes to be seen
To the aspiring career girls who share the teenage dream

From the divorced father who treats his kids to a Mediterranean-style lunch
To the semi-retired sun-kissed primary school teachers who meet up for brunch

From the Klumps, a trail of napkins, straws, sticks, wrappers, cups and crumbs
To the quiet, introvert and lonely who sit and twiddle their thumbs

From the readers and writers who look for a quiet space
To the passing groups of visitors who take over the place

From the grandparents and grandkids who look to kill some time
To the haven’t seen each other in ages and their catch up lines

From the members of staff who have no option but to go
To the police officers who seek solace in a calorie-laden espresso

From the tablet-user who makes laptop man look out of date
To the generous father who feeds his family of eight

From the David Beckham-esque young men groomed so smooth
To the muscle bound gym loving guys who have something to prove

From the professional colleagues who travel in pairs
To the motor cycle enthusiasts who can’t wait to share

From the actors, musicians and producers that plan their next feat
To the coaches, fun runners and athletes who prepare for their forthcoming meet

From the students, the holiday makers and the passing trade
To the business men, business women and professionals who have made the grade

From the labourers, paramedics and all types of crew
To the secularists, the believers and the unruly few

From the minorities, the non-native speakers and those we have missed
To the visionaries, lonely chief exec’s and workers feeling just a little depressed

Starbucks users, we salute you all!